


the library (fold your secrets beneath your tongue)

by mahadevi



Series: molten core [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Book 2: Earth, Episode: s02e10 The Library, Gen, Order of the White Lotus, POV Multiple, Team Bonding, The Ongoing 'Aang vs the Fuck Word' Saga, Uncle Iroh indoctrinates 5 teens into a secret society, Zuko Gets Hurt In The Chase AU, non canon typical language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:47:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24647446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mahadevi/pseuds/mahadevi
Summary: Despite Zuko's many,manyprotests, he and his uncle have become the Avatar's "traveling companions", for lack of better word. He had expected to be kicked out or tortured for information or killed by now, but nothing of the sort has happened. The Avatar and his friends almost seem tolikehim.Or maybe the spontaneous mythical desert library field trip is their version of torture. Zuko can't exactly put it past them.In which everyone gets a lesson on adjustment and they head to the desert to find some answers.
Relationships: Iroh & The Gaang (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Zuko
Series: molten core [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1776538
Comments: 61
Kudos: 986





	the library (fold your secrets beneath your tongue)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I rlly need to clarify this but one of my biggest pet peeves are fics with a massive amount of tags and I felt like making this au one fic would involve me tagging a bunch of stuff that quickly becomes irrelevant. I also would rather make each episode a entirely different fic because I feel like it allows me to write it out better. all the relationship tags are the relevant character interactions for each fic
> 
> that being said the support I've gotten so far is mind boggling and im so glad you all like this au!! im having almost too much fun writing this so far

**+**

To Katara’s immense amusement, it takes Zuko a few days to realize that Sokka was completely bullshitting the urgency of their quest.

The extra day in the canyon is planned and passes with a tense energy. They all look to the horizon as if expecting smoke. She’s not sure how exactly Iroh and Zuko traveled, but Katara can’t remember the last time they spent more than one day in a single place. Appa seems to appreciate the break — he spends thirty minutes standing at the ready before Aang tells him the plan and he’s almost smiling as he flops back onto the ground and promptly falls asleep. The day seems to last forever. None of them are groaning or grumbling the day after when they finally pack up and go.

Sokka’s incredibly dismayed when Zuko shows no reaction whatsoever to flying on Appa. He does grip the edges of the saddle until his knuckles are white but Katara’s pretty sure it’s because he’s having trouble sitting straight and probably feels like absolute monkeydog-shit. But he doesn’t curse up a storm the same way Toph did, or do any of the screaming that _he_ did on their first Appa flight. Zuko ends up falling asleep barely an hour in, his head on his uncle’s lap and his face free of its usual angry grooves.

She’s… not really sure how to feel about that. She forces herself to watch his breathing for one count, two, before she tears her eyes away.

She doesn’t like looking at him much. She spends an inordinate amount of time looking at him already. Hours in the healing tent, slowly mending the sprawling damage that starts in his shoulder and wraps around his heart. She watches him even outside the tent, for signs of discomfort or pain, for the spasms in his hands that he clenches away. She doesn’t want to, really she doesn’t, but he’s her patient. He’s really her first proper patient.

And he’s one _hell_ of a trial run.

The waterbending healing scrolls didn’t give anything on lightning wounds, no surprises there, but there’s enough symptoms and overlapping information to paint the picture. Iroh helps too — detailing the precautions used in his training and the healing offered when accidents occurred. He’s incredibly forthcoming. Katara thinks that it’s because it’s his nephew on the line but the smaller, sensibler, infinitely more _annoying_ part of her brain that sounds like Pakku and Sokka combined says that he would’ve given her the information either way.

Ruptured blood vessels, fractured ribs, and what’s looking to be some moderate lung damage are the surface level things. The scar tissue is frankly terrifying to look at, a concentrated patch of leathery skin exploding outwards like a firework. Toph weighs in on his heartbeat and Katara’s not surprised but still dismayed when the pattern is tapped against her arm. 

It’s a _lot_ of damage. He’s lucky that she was able to treat him as soon as it happened. She tells him as much every single time she heals him and he scowls but looks away, his lip caught between his teeth. Like he’s biting back the words. It baffles her, the fact that the boiling anger still exists so clearly within him but he consciously pushes it down, fights its force, genuinely attempts civility with the rest of them. That all of it disappears so easily in his sleep, loose limbed and small and genuinely childish, the way he looks as they fly for the day, the way he looked when he was dying in an abandoned earth kingdom town.

People are not entirely good or entirely bad. She knows it. But it’s hard to believe it. Aang does, with wide eyed optimism and a genuine kindness and his entire spirits blessed heart Aang believes that evil is worked into someone through time and patience and persistence and can be undone just as easily. That even in the blackest hearts there exists something warm and if he cannot find it that the heart itself is reason enough for forgiveness. He hasn’t lived through the war, he hasn’t been branded with cruelty the way they all have but he has lost everything he ever knew. Everything he ever love. Katara has only really properly lost _one_ person but she cannot smile at golden eyes with complete sincerity.

Aang sits down next to the great-grandson of the man who eradicated his entire race and calls him outdated slang. If she didn’t know him so well she would call him moronic.

She’s not the only one stunned by it. Zuko finds it downright bewildering, based on his expression when it happens. It’s just four days since he and his uncle joined their group, and Katara’s slowly been watching tension build in his frame like steam. When they fly for half a day then set up camp because Appa’s tired, when meals are delayed for an hour because Momo ate through half the ingredients, when they spend thirty minutes drawing sticks for clean up duty — it’s like a furious confused volcano slowly bubbling in his chest.

It doesn’t help much that his Uncle participates in their shenanigans with complete enthusiasm, which is genuinely hilarious. Tonight, the squabble starts because Sokka forgot that Toph was blind again and Toph proceeded to take _complete_ advantage and make him feel really guilty, to which Iroh responded with “the only eyes are the ones in the soul”, a statement which Aang finds genuinely inspiring and starts extrapolating upon.

It makes Zuko get this expression like he’s going to throw himself into the campfire. “This is moronic!” He shouts. The fire flares with him. “We’ve covered little to no ground at all! What happened to urgent matters that need to be attended to? Or the enemies who are hunting you down with everything they’ve got!”

“Appa was tired.” Aang says simply. The same straightforward tone he had used when Sokka had first asked, and when Toph had questioned him a few weeks prior. The saviour of the world, ladies and gentlemen. Master of four elements, bringer of peace and harmony, and a slave to his bison’s every whim and fancy. Zuko’s expression turns downright murderous.

“I traveled farther on my ostrich-horse in one day than we have in _four.”_ He seethes.

“Prince Zuko, one must take time to appreciate all life has to offer when on its endless path.” Iroh says with sagely wisdom. Katara is genuinely surprised that Zuko doesn’t have an aneurism in his anger.

He probably hears her snickering and he whirls on her to glare daggers. Over the past few days, Katara’s pretty sure she’s become desensitized to it with how often she’s been on its receiving end. She gives him a peaceful smile and watches in delight as he deflates with a resigned rage and angrily shovels the rest of his food into his mouth. 

She doesn’t like him. He took her mother’s necklace. He crashed his ship into their village. He threatened her grandmother. He chased them around the world trying to capture the one person who could save it. His eyes are golden and they burn. She hasn’t liked him from the day they met.

But she’s starting to think she could. She watches him, despite the twisted feeling she gets in her chest that feels like betrayal and confusion and anger. It’s a feeling that fades when she watches his face slacken into honest bewilderment as Toph puts her feet on his lap. When she watches his eyes get hard and conflicted as he witnesses Aang’s delighted whooping when he makes up a new move. When he and Sokka wordlessly work in tandem to build and stoke the fire through the night. When his uncle would run his hand along Zuko’s scar and the boy would lean into his touch, still fast asleep.

She watches him mindlessly run his hands through Appa’s fur in gentle motions, holding a handful of fruit above his head and out of Momo’s reach, almost smiling at the animal’s begging. Katara thinks she could learn to like him. She’s just not sure he’ll let her.

**+**

Sokka lays out the ground rules quickly and clearly. There’s two. Don’t betray our trust, and no firebending.

Aang argues that he kinds needs them to firebend if he wants to eventually learn it, but then Toph tears into him about shitty jing and getting his balls to the floor which sparks a variety of reactions from the rest of them, and it’s settled. Until Toph declares Aang “not completely shit at earthbending”, he’s not moving past basic breathing and firebending katas. Sokka was really banking on Iroh or Zuko raising a fuss about defending themselves. Instead Iroh agrees wholeheartedly and Zuko raises and eyebrow and reminds him about the swords. 

Fuck. Right. The swords.

They aren’t anything special, really. There’s no particular craftsmanship that stands out, nothing fancy or elaborate in the metalwork. Doesn’t seem like something a prince would have. Sokka says so and Zuko’s face twists as he admits he kinda sorta stole them from some asshole who humiliated his uncle. Judging by Iroh’s expression, that was also the first time he was hearing that particular bit of news, which devolves into a heated debate on ethics and morality. Sokka leaves when Aang brings up moral relativism fuckin’ spirits all mighty, the kid’s _twelve._

The blades might be stolen middle tier common junk, but in Zuko’s hands they’re something else entirely. He gets the go ahead from Katara to start practices forms and katas with minimal exertion, but Sokka knows the guy’s not going to listen and drags him out of sight to spar.

“Me.” Zuko says, flatly. “Spar with you.”

“I literally just said that.” He sighs. 

“If you want me to spar then why did you only give me one sword!” Zuko’s yelling, which should be scarier than it actually is. Sokka’s slowly finding out that the guy’s explosive in the way that dry wood is — a lot of noise but not a lot more than that. 

“Cause you have two and we each need one?”

“They’re _twin Dao_ you fucking moron. Do they have twins in the water tribes or do you need a quick rundown?”

Sokka ends up dropping the swords and just fucking punching the guy in the face.

After a quick scuffle, a lot of yelling from Katara, and ten minutes of awkward silence where they just sit in the dirt and avoid eye contact, Sokka sighs, “I should’ve just brought my machete instead.”

“No.” Zuko says, clipped and short. “You shouldn’t have, because I don’t plan on teaching you shit. Why the fuck would I help you?”

Sokka gapes at him. “We’re literally helping you—“

“Which I didn’t ask for. If I had my way I wouldn’t have been helped by you at all. And clearly I’m stuck with you guys until this,” he points to the spot under his shirt where the sprawling scar starts. “is healed completely. After that—“

“Dude.” Sokka groans, burying his face in his palms. “Fuckin’, I’m saying this because of _Azula.”_ And just as expected, that makes Zuko pause. Sokka continues. “I was pretty useless that whole time. I’m a big liability if she ever comes up again, and she _will_ come up again.”

Surprisingly, that gets a snort out of Zuko. “You’re telling me.” He mutters. “You haven’t lived with her.”

Sokka shudders. “Yeah, no, I’ll pass on that.” He shoots a grin. Zuko doesn’t give him one back, obviously, but there’s a mellowness in his eyes that Sokka’s not sure he’s seen before. 

It’s still there when he stands, stretching. “I’m not letting you use the Dao.” He says, spinning them in his palms. “You wouldn’t be good with it.”

Alright, well then, good bye good mood. “Fuck you dude.”

“It’s a lot of dexterity and precision. I trained in it because it complimented the katas for firebending. You would do better with a jian, it’s similar to your machete and uses more force than anything.”

Sokka blinks. “Oh.” He says, somewhat stunned. “That’s. Surprisingly thoughtful.”

Zuko stares at him flatly. “I pay attention to the people I’m fighting, especially those fighting alongside the Avatar.”

Sokka grins. “Guess what, that includes you now too buddy!” Zuko makes a face like he’s eaten an entire lemon whole and Sokka cannot stop himself from laughing.

So they spar. They don’t really spar a lot, because Zuko’s still plenty weak and doesn’t offer much of a fight, it’s more Sokka swings his machete around and Zuko sits and tells him that his posture sucks. They only spar once proper, which ends up being much more than Zuko probably should have done in the end. Katara takes one look at him and foists dinner duty onto Iroh and drags him for another round of healing all while muttering about stupid boys and stupid egos. Sokka’s not that bothered though. For one, there’s an easiness to Zuko’s face that he’s never seen before like, ever. He probably was going stir crazy for all this time, physically unable to walk anywhere without a whole other human for support.

But he also… relaxed? Loosened? Sokka doesn’t know what to call it, but eventually the harsh reprimands about his slouch and his stance faded into something. Not harsh. Ugh, what the fuck is up with this guy? He’s indescribable. One minute he’s calling Sokka a useless piece of shit and the next he’s letting Sokka fuck around with the Dao. 

He gets it to an extent. He sure wouldn’t want to be forced onto Zuko’s metal behemoth of a ship and made to play nice to his crew and be subject to the uncomfortable situation of owing them one because they saved his life. Zuko’s already not the ‘take it as it comes’ type of person the way his uncle is. In full fuckin’ honesty, he’s kind of impressed the guy’s been as polite as he has so far — he doesn’t trust Zuko one fucking bit but he’s cooperative, which is more than he expected.

They’re setting up camp in the forest when the _Rough fucking Rhinos_ burst through the trees, scowling down at them. “Rule number one Prince Fuckwad! Don’t betray our trust, especially not to the Rough Rhinos!” Sokka hisses through his teeth. Beside him, trembling on his feet, Zuko glares back.

“I have no idea who these guys are!” He insists. Behind them both Iroh stands, putting a hand on each of their shoulders.

“Colonel Mongke, what a pleasant surprise!” He says amicably. Sokka feels his own baffled confusion mirrored on Zuko’s face.

“If you’re surprised we’re here then the Dragon of the West has lost a few steps.” Despite the growl and the glare, Iroh doesn’t waver in his friendliness. 

“You know these guys?” Zuko’s eyes don’t leave the men surrounding them. On his right, Sokka feels Katara’s hands drift to her hip. 

“Sure! Colonel Mongke and the Rough Rhinos are legendary.” Iroh’s voice has that edge that makes the hairs on the back of Sokka’s arm stand up. The one he uses when he knows a little too much, when he’s having a little too much fun. “Each one is a different kind of weapon specialist. They are also a very capable singing group!”

Way in the back, Toph snorts.

Colonel Mongke snarls. “We’re not here to have a concert, we’re here to apprehend a couple of fugitives!” His snarl turns into a sneer, chin high as he looks down on them. “I knew you turned traitor against your nation but who would’ve thought that you would’ve gone so far as to side with the Avatar?”

He levels his gaze at Sokka. He sighs. “For the last time, _he’s_ the Avatar.” Aang waves. “You’ve literally seen him in the Avatar state in Chin Village! It’s not me!”

Zuko blinks. “They think you’re the Avatar?”

“Long story.”

“Would you like some tea first? I would _love_ some.” Chills work their way down Sokka’s spine. Iroh’s grip tightens on Sokka’s shoulder. “How about you Kahchi? You strike me as a jasmine type.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake!” Toph blurts, slamming her foot into the ground, sending a rhino flying into the sky. “Stop quipping and fight already!”

Even as Iroh springs into action, he looks somewhat dejected. 

The fight is quick and easy. Way too easy, honestly. Toph, Aang and Katara already kicked their asses once before, and Iroh’s downright terrifying as he launches himself into battle. Sokka takes one look at the situation and knows where he’s needed, planting himself in front of Zuko and throwing his arm out. “Don’t rush in, you’ll get dropped like a fucking rock.” He says over his shoulder, reaching for his boomerang. Zuko presses something else into his hand.

“They’re more useful on you right now.” Is the only explanation Sokka’s given as he separates the Dao with a bewildered sort of gratitude. Zuko’s got one hand braced on Sokka’s shoulder, heaving rough breaths. One gets caught in his throat. “Look out!” 

Sokka’s never properly fought with the Dao and never really fought an archer, but he’s decent at improvising and spent a fair amount of time getting yelled at by Zuko. He’s also got solid eye-hand coordination, knocking the first arrow out of the air and splitting the second one in half. He charges, quick on his feet and darting to the side and jumping up on the rhino’s back. The archer gets in a good hit using his bow, but Sokka cuts the string and kicks the guy in the head.

An arm wraps around his middle. “Let’s go!” Aang shouts, launching them skywards and into Appa’s saddle, Katara at the reins. They leave the Rhinos behind, sprawled in the dirt.

Iroh settles down with a smile. “It’s always nice to see old friends.”

“Too bad you don’t have any friends who don’t wanna attack you.”

“How many of his old friends have tried to attack you?” Toph asks, picking dirt from between her toes.

“All of them!” Zuko shouts despairingly. Some of the colour’s returned to his face. Toph grins.

“Sweet.” She says with all the smugness in the world. Zuko groans, throwing his head back.

“Hey Jerkbender.” Sokka finds himself saying. Zuko looks back at him, only slightly caught by surprised by the swords Sokka throws his way. “Thanks.”

“Don’t throw unsheathed swords at me while we’re fucking flying!” Zuko snaps. “You could’ve taken out an eye!”

“Eh, don’t need any of mine.”

“Toph, I’m pretty sure it’d still hurt a lot.”

“Only if you’re a pussy. Hey, maybe we _should_ throw some swords around! If one of them gets Twinkle Toes then I'd be able to teach him better! We'd be on the same playing field after all. Then he can _really_ master earthbending.”

“You are one terrifying young lady.”

“Awe, thanks Uncle!”

“Don’t encourage her General Iroh! My eyes are at stake!”

Looking over the bickering group entirely, Sokka meets Zuko’s gaze. Gives him a begrudging nod. Zuko returns his just as reluctantly. Sokka breaks eye contact, looks out at the forests down below, and wonders if he just experienced his first Man To Man Interaction.

**+**

To Zuko’s genuine surprise, traveling with the Avatar is entirely unremarkable.

He’s not quite sure what he expected. There have a giant flying bison which sheds like a motherfucker and should have gone extinct a hundred years ago. There is the staunch patriotism bordering on stupidity that rears its head when Zuko suggests that they changes out of their blues and yellows into more subtle Earth Kingdom greens. There is nonstop bickering and no thought for subtlety and raucous rowdy nonsense which broadcasts their signal for anyone within a hundred miles.

Sokka mentions going into a nearby town and stocking up on supplies, and Katara mentions it’s a good bit of exercise that would probably do Zuko some good, having deemed Zuko well enough for ‘mild exercise’. When he finds the low brimmed straw hat and instructs them to only call him Li, Sokka laughs so hard that he cries.

“Seriously, what are you, some kind of spy?” He wheezes, doubled over.

“I’m a fugitive!” Zuko’s going to fucking kill this guy. “I’d be surprised if you didn’t find a wanted poster with my face on it!”

They find three. One from three years ago, weathered and worn and almost unreadable — Zuko’s the only one to notice that one. Everyone finds the one with Blue Spirit’s mask on it, mostly because Aang outright shouts “look Zu-Li, it’s you!” upon seeing it. Then there’s the third one which is less than a few weeks old, but it mostly goes unnoticed as Zuko tries to strangle the damn kid for being _so stupid._

They get the supplies. Zuko gets a migraine. 

And even after all that, they don’t get into much trouble at all in that village. After the Rough Rhinos, nothing fucking happens. There’s some bandits which are easily dealt with a single nonchalant stomp from Toph, and a very persistent weapon salesman who tries to cheat Zuko out of his Dao, but no Avatar related problems. No Fire Nation, no bounty hunters, no spirits—

“Dude.” Sokka says when Zuko voices this over dinner one night. “Most of the time, _you_ were the one causing the problems.”

“Oh.” Zuko says. He feels almost admonished for some reason. “Well I guess I’m just good at my job.”

Toph snorts stew all over the ground.

There’s a weird standstill they’ve come to. Sokka doesn’t like Zuko but they’ve reached a truce of sorts, but he’s friendly with Uncle. Katara doesn’t seem to care much for either of them but shows them hospitality and takes her position as healer seriously. Toph is crazy. That’s the only way Zuko can really think of it. 

And the Avatar is just a _kid._

He’s run into the Avatar enough to know this. He’s fought him plenty of times and it has never been a seasoned warrior that he has been staring down, he’s always been catching the wide eyes of some fucking preteen who does everything in his power to not hurt the person trying to kill him. Zuko’s not sure he can list a single time that the Avatar struck first, or even tried to strike him at all. It’s always been a matter of deflect and dodge and reflect.

The day they get back from their disastrous market trip he asks what they even went for in the first place. Katara blinks at him. “Oh, Aang’s a vegetarian. All Air Nomads are. I usually make him a separate meal from everyone else, but his appetite has grown so much recently.” She gets this soft and small grin. “He really doesn’t want to hurt anyone. Not just because of the Air Nomad pacifism. He’s a good kid.”

Zuko’s history tutor told him that the Air Nation army bended the breath from the Fire Nation soldier’s lungs. Avatar Aang uses airbending to grab the ripest fruit from the top of the tallest trees to feed to his lemur-monkey. Zuko’s spent the past few weeks wandering the Earth Kingdom, he’s long since pieced together the undeniable fact that his childhood was deeply steeped in propaganda. Fuck, he saw the signs three years ago, finding scrolls and tomes from all over the world to learn everything he could to face the Avatar. The Fire Nation sources were always the outliers, presenting entirely different stories than the other books speaking on the same subject.

He ignored it back then of course. Dismissed it as propaganda in its own right, as foolish tales written by uneducated savages. He would’ve outright burned the scrolls if it weren’t for Uncle’s interference. Guilt rolls in his stomach at the thought, he tries to push it down and away but it bubbles back to the surface. Fuck, he wants to punch something. He wants to _burn_ something.

Honestly, fuck Sokka’s rules. He didn’t ask for their trust in him, they offered it on their own. _Uncle_ was stupid enough to ask for help from the fucking Avatar, going behind Zuko’s back and betray him—

_—gnarled hand carding through his hair and lips pressed against his scalp a weary voice heavy with endless apologies and prayers a selfish wish to keep him close and never lose him—_

He ends up going to Appa. Of everyone in the camp, the bison’s the only one he can stand. Toph’s the one who seems to find it easy to talk to him, but Zuko’s not entirely sure what Toph’s deal _is_ which kind of scares him. Uncle’s… uncle’s not someone he can deal with, right now. He can’t deal with conversation at all, really. The bison doesn’t offer it. The bison doesn’t offer anything at all really. 

“Hey.” He offers, somewhat awkwardly, because the bison’s eyes are searching and knowing, watching him carefully as he approaches. “Uh… hi. Appa.”

Appa snorts and closes his eyes. Zuko feels himself smile. He doesn’t have to say anything, doesn’t have to offer any explanation. He cautiously leans against the bison’s fur, waiting for a reaction. And when there’s nothing, he settles into the warmth.

When he was younger, he used to write stories in his head as he fell asleep. Nothing too fantastical, or outlandish. Just ideas of where he wanted to be in the future. Hopes and dreams that he kept close to his chest, that he needed to air but had nowhere to put them. When he was a child he imagined himself performing the hardest katas with effortless grace. As he got older it became less about the katas and more about the gaze of the man watching him; in his imagination he felt warm eyes on his back and turned around to meet a proud smile. In the fevered haze following his banishment he could almost feel the cold chains in his hands as he dragged the Avatar down the palace’s halls, head held high and triumphant.

He hasn’t done it in a while. He cannot muster up an image at all. He closes his eyes and sees darkness, and gives up on false feelings and sensations, on fantasies and wishes. He focuses on the warmth of the fur that surrounds him, and settles into that instead.

**+**

Not ten minutes after they all wake up, Sokka declares a meeting to discuss the schedule for the following weeks. Aang has decided that this is the last straw.

“I demand that we have a break!” He declares, jumping on top of Appa’s back. “We have been overworked and under compensated for too long! We will not be suppressed like this!”

“Suppressed? I’m putting together a plan to—“ He freezes, looking nervously at Iroh and Zuko before continuing in a whisper, “take down the Fire Lord.”

“I’m well aware of your plans, and I can hear you perfectly fine!” Zuko snaps. He doesn’t look so exhausted anymore, which is good. Still pretty angry though.

“Aren’t you against that?” Katara leans forwards, tucking her knees under her chin. “He is your father, and it is your nation.”

Zuko gets that tightness around his eyes. “You’ve seen how welcome we are there.” He mutters. “Besides, stopping you is against the rules, and if I listen to the rules then I’m healed faster. That’s it.”

Sokka grins, leering over at him. “Soo, does that mean you’re willing to give up some Fire Nation secrets?”

Zuko swats him away. “I’m going along with you, not helping you out! You’re not my friends, we just happen to share a common enemy.”

“An enemy of an enemy is your friend.” Aang offers. Zuko scowls. Yikes, that comment was apparently not as helpful as he thought it would be.

“They’re _all_ enemies.”

“That’s a lot of enemies.” Toph mutters.

“Well since Prince Bitch over here isn’t willing to betray his nation by comprising national secrets, we have jack shit to go on! We need to be making a plan, we’re just wandering aimlessly through the Earth Kingdom with no real direction!”

“We are going to Ba Sing Se, to get the Earth King’s support.” Katara puts a hand on her brother’s shoulder, attempting to placate him. “We have that y’know.”

“You’re discussing your plans right _in front of me?”_

“But we have nothing to show for ourselves when we go meet with him! Yeah, we have the Avatar but we don’t have a plan of attack! No invasion, no assault, no assassination—“

“I am literally _right here.”_

Aang blows the whistle, which makes Appa yell, which makes everyone shut up. He glares down upon them. “I want a vacation.” He says firmly, arms crossed over his chest. He’s trying to do his best Zuko face. The response he receives is probably an indicator that it’s not really working. “I’ve been training my arrow off!"

"Twinkle Toes, _please_ just say ass I am begging you."

"Toph and Katara have been working hard too, and wouldn’t rest be good for Zuko too?”

“I asked for none of this. Fuck you.” Zuko adds. Everyone ignores him. It’s a standard routine at this point.

“I wouldn’t mind a break.” Toph cheerfully adds. Aang beams, nice one Toph! Outvote him and he can’t refuse! “It’s really tiring watching this guy suck so much.” Aang deflates. Thanks a lot Toph.

Katara elbows her with a frown, looking placatingly at Sokka afterwards. “C’mon Sokka.” She says in her little sister voice which really hasn’t been effective before. Like ever. If anything it makes Sokka more mad. “When do you think we’ll be able to travel like this again? Who knows if we’ll ever come back to the Earth Kingdom.”

Sokka looks away. “We need intelligence.” He insists, but it’s a lot weaker than before.

“I think I have a way to achieve both.” Iroh interjects. He’s been quiet so far, watching with that look of amusement he gets whenever they start bickering amongst themselves. He locks eyes with Aang, grinning mischievously when he says “It turns out, I _do_ have friends that don’t want to attack me.”

Aang grins back. Man, he’s _so_ cool.

**+**

Toph can’t see the Misty Palms Oasis, but she can pretty much taste the disappointing and dingy atmosphere. It’s somewhere between rank sewage and livestock, but stale and fermented. The sign crashes to the ground behind them as the enter the gates. They’re assaulted by suspicious stares that follow them as they walk through the town.

This is great. If she stayed home, she would _never_ have gotten to see places like this.

“That’s not an ice spring.” Sokka whispers loudly. Toph thought it was impossible to do such a thing until she met him. “That’s like, an ice leak. It’s _barely_ taller than Momo!”

“At least it’s not that fucking rodent orchestra we wasted an hour at.” Zuko grumbles. 

Toph pats Aang on the back sympathetically. “I liked the rodent orchestra.” She assures him. “It wasn’t something I needed to see to enjoy!” He perks up beneath her hand, turning his head and probably shooting her a smile.

Two sets of hands catches each of their shoulders, steering them to the left. “There’s a group of men watching us.” Katara says lowly, grip firm in their clothing. There’s a wet noise. “They just spat at Sokka. Stay close, okay?”

“I bet I could spit better than them.” Toph mutters. Katara smacks the back of her head. “Ow, stop mothering me!”

“I’m not mothering you, Zuko’s just antagonizing them enough. We don’t need you challenging them to spitting contests.”

Toph huffs. Spoilsport. She finds the table and chair, sits on one and kicks her feet up on the other. “Get me a juice thing Sokka!” She calls, folding her arms behind her head. She feels the other chair move next to her, the person sinking into it with relief. She adds, “And one for Sparky over here too!”

“Can you maybe not call me a nickname that indicates I’m a firebender when we’re in non-firebender friendly territory?” Zuko mutters. “I’ll take anything else.”

“Sure! I can do that, Twink.”

_“Do not call me that.”_

Toph sighs, leaning back, flexing her toes. Cold fruit juice, exotic locations, antagonizing the Fire Lord’s son — she’s so glad she fucked off when she had the chance.

**+**

Iroh tries to leave the children outside the non-fruit juice bar. It’s not an appropriate place for kids their age, but then they all start arguing with him at once and he sighs and lets them follow him in. Really, such a stubborn lot. Just trying to talk Zuko down was hard enough, now bolstered by four of his peers he’s practically an unstoppable force. Even now, behind him, they bicker on about nicknames or something of the like.

Iroh bites back a smile. He needs a straight face for this after all.

“You brought us here to gamble on Pai Sho?” Zuko hisses, breaking away from his conversation to grab Iroh by the shoulder.

“Ooh! I love Pai Sho! I’m really good at it, well, Monk Gyatso was better of course.” Aang babbles excitedly. It makes Iroh’s heart hurt. “I wanna go a round!”

Iroh chuckles, shaking his head. “I don’t think this is a gamble.” He turns his gaze to the man at the table, bowing. “May I have this game?”

He gets a smile and a wave of a hand in return. “The guest has the first move.”

Iroh finds the tile immediately among the top of the stack in the cups next to the table. He picks without hesitation placing it in the centre of the board.

“That fucking _tile—“_ Zuko grits out behind him. Iroh’s sure he’ll come around eventually.

The man’s eyes spark. “I see you favour the white lotus gambit.” He says carefully. “Not many still cling to the ancient ways.” Palms out, he bows.

Iroh almost breaks into a broad smile. He manages to hold it back, saying with equal reverence, “Those who do can always find a friend.”

“What the fuck.” Sokka says behind him.

“Do you see what kind of shit I have to deal with?”

“Then let us play.” The placement of tiles is rhythmic and familiar. Iroh loses himself easily in it, never looking at the other man’s movements, hearing the board and moving to place his own. He can feel the children gather around them, watching intently. He does not look at them. He does not want to break the spell.

When the pattern is complete, the man looks up at him with a smile. He bows. “Welcome brother. The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets.”

“What the _fuck.”_ Sokka repeats, twice as passionate.

“Yeah no, I lost the plot about three minutes into the random clacking sounds. What’s going on?”

“They… they made a lotus.” Katara says, amazed. “They just made a picture of a lotus using the tiles!”

Iroh catches his nephew’s baffled gaze. He lets that grin he’s been holding back slip through. “I always tried to tell you that Pai Sho is more than just a game.”

The man — Fung, he soon learns — begins leading them outside the town. The Avatar collects his bison and joins them, flying them towards the direction Fung points them in. “I must say, the giant flying bison sort of does away with the discretion of our organization.” Fung says dryly, white knuckling the edge of the saddle.

Iroh laughs heartily. “It’s an acquired taste.” He can feel the children’s stares burning holes into him, demanding answers he cannot give just yet.

“It is an honor to welcome such a high-ranking member of the Order of the White Lotus. Being a Grand Master, you must know so many secrets.” Fung says eagerly. Ah. That certainly increases the pressure upon him. Iroh sighs. Such persistent children indeed.

He’s never been to this particular branch, but the sight of the flower shop makes him smile. There’s always been a certain comfort to every branch, regardless of how familiar Iroh actually is with each one. The sight of the back door almost warms his heart. He knocks twice. The peephole slides open.

“Who knocks at the guarded gate?”

“One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries.” Iroh smiles. Behind him, Sokka begins a third confused exclamation, but prevented from completing it by what sounds like a very well placed elbow.

The door opens. Iroh moves to step through, but finds himself being pushed aside by the Florist, who looks at them wide eyed. “The Avatar.” He breathes in amazement. Behind him, a second figure emerges, in travellers garb and with crows feet embedded around his eyes. Iroh blinks. He has not seen this face in several years, not since his shameful defeat at Ba Sing Se, but he spent a lot of time with it — it belonged to the only local who would willingly speak to a Fire Nation general. For information on Fire Nation customs and traditions, of all things. It almost sends him reeling, to see him after all these years

_“Professor?”_ Iroh asks, completely floored. 

“General!” Zei exclaims, eyes crinkled and face bright.

“Uncle?” Zuko questions, hesitant and unsure.

“Okay, no.” Sokka interjects, stepping in between Iroh and Zei. “What the _fuck_ is going on here?”

Iroh turns and smiles widely, wrapping an arm around his old friend. “These are good friends of mine!” He says, only partially lying, having never met Fung nor the other member in his life. “I thought they would be able to help us get to Ba Sing Se. Professor Zei here is a head of anthropology at the university there!”

Toph raises an eyebrow. _“You_ have Earth Kingdom friends?” She asks pointedly. Zei ignores all of them and hones in on Aang, eyes sparking with delight.

“An airbender!” He breathes, delighted. “You’re a living relic.”

Aang shrugs. “Thanks, I try.”

Zei opens his mouth, presumably to bombard the poor boy with questions. Sokka once again physically interjects himself as a barrier, hands on his hips. “Can we please focus!” He shouts. Katara pats his shoulder sympathetically.

Zei smiles sheepishly. “Sorry, I do tend to get carried away.”

Iroh laughs, pulling him into a hug. Zei reacts like he always has, taking a moment to flail before awkwardly returning it. “I did not expect to see you here!”

Zei pulls away, smile bright. “You know me General, always chasing the impossible.”

“Professor Zei was seeking assistance in his quest for the library.” Fung informs, bowing his head to the professor. “Unfortunately, we do not have envoys to spare at the moment. We cannot do much to help you either, sir.”

The other member sighs, shaking his head. “Documents are hard to come by now that they’re implementing new standards at the docks.” He looks weary, offering an apologetic smile. 

Iroh can’t return a genuine smile of his own. “Thank you for your kindness, regardless.” He bows, turning to address Zei but finding him otherwise occupied by a hoard of children. He doesn’t look overwhelmed in the slightest, chatting with them with a childlike glee.

“Then it's settled.” Sokka declares triumphantly. “Aang, I do believe it's my turn. I'd like to spend my vacation,” He thrusts one finger into the air with vigour. “at the library!”

Toph waves her hand in the air. “Uh, hey, what about me? When do I get to pick?”

“You have to work here a _little_ longer before you qualify for vacation time.” Sokka says, and gets a firm punch for his troubles.

“If you help me find the library, then I’ll be more than happy to escort you to Ba Sing Se!” Zei says brightly, 

“Find it?” Katara asks, tilting her head.

Zei loses some of his enthusiasm. “The Si Wong Desert is a treacherous place. It’s near impossible to cross. There are specific routes for convoys and tradespeople, but we’d have to stray from them in order to search for the library.” He shakes his head.

Aang sidles up to him with that grin of his. “Professor, would you like to see our sky bison?”

Zei’s face lights up like a sky at dawn.

Zuko steps next to Iroh. “The Avatar might be going to Ba Sing Se, but why are we?” He hisses. “Why would we go to the Earth Kingdom capital?”

Iroh smiles. “We can hide in plain sight there.; and it's the safest place in the world from the Fire Nation. Even I couldn't break through to the city!” He shrugs happily. Zuko’s eye twitches.

Iroh’s never been fond of the desert, but he has to admit, the children’s excitement is rather contagious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- "Shawty, this chapter contains like 2 things from the actual episode" I KNOW RIGHT the thing is a Lot of bonding and conversation and travel happens off screen and the timeline of atla is confusing I don't know if The Library occurs one day or one week after Bitter Work the only measure of time is Zuko's fucking hair. It's why this work is 3 chapters, originally it was going to be just 2 but the library is one _beefy_ episode with a lot of plot relevant stuff especially because I'm adding in my own stuff with zuko and iroh being there
> 
> \- All medical knowledge is pieced together through search results for 'lightning injury'. Iroh recovers faster than Zuko but I reason that as a result of Iroh traveling a much more comfortable way than Zuko did when they were separated and wasn't as malnourished or beat up as Zuko was. Also, Iroh got shot with fire in The Chase, whereas I purposefully changed it to lightning in this au bc Azula was aiming to kill. Either way, medical accuracy is questionable but please let me know if I fucked it up entirely
> 
> \- the comic "Avatar Sokka" involves sokka pretending to be the avatar to impress a girl and getting kidnapped by the Rough Rhinos I wish I was fucking with you Sokka why are you like this. also I adore the concept of the Rough Rhinos even if they did. yknow kill jet's family.
> 
> -I have to consciously resist the urge to write loveable dork zuko and keep him bitter and angry for now but as you can clearly see that's not working out so well let's just say that early azula lightning is a key strat in the zuko redemption arc speedrun
> 
> \- white lotus member zei was a byproduct of trying to mash the two desert stories together but i ended up really liking it in the end!! I imagine that professor zei's trying to recover and preserve preciously lost/destroyed information and documents. if it isn't clear, zei and iroh met back during the siege when zei approached iroh for a series of interviews about fire nation court practices, which absolutely delighted iroh. they didn't know about each other's status in the order at first, but eventually used the interviews as an excuse to pass messages through the walls.
> 
> I didn't expect to write this much tbh this fic alone is going to be a UNIT

**Author's Note:**

> ((i read and love all of your comments!! but i don’t know how to respond to most of them beyond just a ‘tysm!!’ so pls assume ur comment made me keel over with happiness even if i don’t respond))
> 
> [my twitter ](https://twitter.com/KAMONORITOSHI)


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